Editorial (November 10, 2018) — Football fans from around the world will be staring at Buenos Aires, Argentina to witness what is going to be the greatest battle series ever: Boca Juniors vs River Plate.
Copa Libertadores Final: Boca Juniors vs River Plate Setting Up to Be a Classic
Boca Juniors and River Plate paralyze the world as both teams prepare to play Game One of the Copa Libertadores final on Saturday.
This is the matchup the fans have been waiting for more than a century.
But… Why so?
Simple, this is probably the greatest and toughest rivalry in all sports, not to mention the hooligans and fans have had a hatred for one another for more than a century.
Boca Juniors and River Plate doesn’t represent all football in Argentina, but they are the ones who have the most fans because of popularity.
Buenos Aires is the capital of football in November, and surely nobody wants to miss anything from this unique final.
The first leg will be held in La Bombonera, home of Boca Juniors, on November 10.
The second and final match will be played at the Estadio Monumental, the house of River Plate, on 24 November 2018.
Facts and Numbers
It is the first time two Argentinean teams will face each other in the Copa Libertadores final, and it ironically occurs when longtime enemies Boca and River meet in the final phase of the tournament.
Boca is looking for its sixth title in the Copa Libertadores, while River aims to win their fourth and second in the last four years.
River advanced to the last stage by eliminating last season winners Gremio.
On the other hand, Boca knocked out Palmeiras to earn the spot in the final.
History counts…or not at all
Overall, The “Xeneizes” has dominated “Los Millonarios” in all competitions.
Boca has 134 wins against 122 River victories, including 115 draws in 370 matchups throughout the last century.
That means Boca has a 12-win margin over River. Well, however, River has won the last three games between them.
So there is not really a favorite in this final, which makes it even more attractive to watch.
Who Has More to Lose?
This is the most interesting part because no one wants to kneel against their greatest rival.
Though, River has a slight margin of error as their reputation is on the line with this final.
Whoever wins has a strong point to say if there’s a discussion of who is the best team, but Boca can always bounce back by saying River was relegated in 2011.
The “Xeneizes” has never played in the Argentinean Second Division and is the only “Big Team” in Argentina that has never been relegated.
If River loses, it opens the door for Boca fans to say their disliked rivals played in the second division and also lost to them in the Copa Libertadores final.
So River has to win in order to avoid humiliation.
